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If you've ever opened your freezer to find a cloud of hovering fog, then you have walked in on the defrost cycle which keeps the inside of your freezer from looking like Ice Station Zebra. Have you ever wondered, though, "Where's the moisture coming from?" Well, unfortunately, at least some of it is coming out of your food. Now you wouldn't think that water would be able to evaporate straight out of frozen food, but it can. You see, freezer air is so dry that it can literally rip water molecules off of frozen food, in a process called sublimation. The result? Frost on the sides of your freezer, and freezer burn on your food. This is especially a bad thing for meat, which can become so leathery and dry, that basically it becomes unpalatable. There is, however, one way to prevent this: proper packaging. Freezer-bound meats such as chopped steaks, fillets and cutlets, should be wrapped in at least two full layers of plastic wrap, and then that should be sealed inside at least two full layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. And you might want to crimp in the ends just to ensure that no air can get in there. And, of course, you want to label that with a magic marker, the name of the product, and, of course, the freezing date. By freezing our peas on a pan loose like this, we have created what in the industry would be called I.Q.F. peas, or Individual Quick Frozen. They are convenient because, if properly kept, we can just dose them out at will for however many we need, whenever we need them. So I'm going to put these all into one heavy-duty ziptop bag. Now a lot of companies sell freezer bags. You don't need those. No real difference. What is important, however, is that we remove as much of this air as possible. Anytime air comes in contact with frozen foods, it is a bad thing. We're going to suffer moisture loss, so again, I'll employ the straw. There. Now if you will remove the air every time you get out some peas, you'll be able to keep these garden fresh for up to a year.Date and label all freezer entries and practice FIFO (first in first out). [in the freezer] Believe it or not, how you choose to bring your frozen cache back to culinary life greatly affects the quality. Now a slow thaw in the fridge is best because it allows time for the food to reabsorb some of the moisture that might be lost due to internal ice crystallization. And, of course, the cold environment will help prevent any reawakening surface bacteria from running rampant. Now since condensation usually leads to dripage, always, always thaw in clean, watertight containers such as these. Now the downside to this system, of course, is time. It can take 12 to 24 hours for a couple of steaks to thoroughly thaw. Luckily, we've got some ways around that. [at the sink] If you've seen our award-winning duck episode [What's Up, Duck?], you'll no doubt recall that cold water is a very efficient thawing medium, especially if it's moving a little, has a little convection going for it. Now the peaches can thaw exactly as they are. The steaks—which should be in a separate container, of course, from fruits and vegetables—should be taken out of the foil and moved into ziptop bags, and then submerged with something nice and heavy. I just like to use a little rock there. As for the water, if you don't want to leave it running, you're going to want to replace it with cold water every 20 minutes or so. Of course, in the case of the peaches, I doubt that it's going to take more than that to thaw a bag. In case of the steak, well, depending on thickness, maybe up to an hour. As for the peas, well, just dose them out straight from the bag into whatever you're cooking. They will thaw quickly enough. [at the freezer] Well, America, I hope that we've inspired you to cast a new gaze upon the powerful ally that is your freezer. Think of it as a bank account that you can load up with assets, which are frozen and yet earn interest at the same time. Learn to keep the right things on hand in here, and good eats will never be more than a few steps away. See you next time.
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